10+ Free Felt Ornament Pattern Ideas

Why You’ll Love This

• Beginner-friendly: Simple shapes and basic stitches (running stitch, whipstitch, blanket stitch) are all you need.
• Scrap-busting project: A perfect way to use up small pieces of felt, leftover floss, and random buttons from your stash.
• Endlessly customizable: Change colors, faces, and embellishments to match your tree, your kids’ favorite colors, or your holiday theme.
• Great for gift-giving: Handmade ornaments make sweet teacher gifts, stocking stuffers, or “bow toppers” on wrapped presents.
• Portable craft: Everything fits into a small pouch—ideal for travel, waiting rooms, or cozy evenings by the tree.
• Memory-making activity: Kids can help design and stuff ornaments. Each year, you’ll remember who made which little character.

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Preparation and Crafting Time

(Think of this like a “recipe” for crafting time!)

• Preparation Time: 10–20 minutes
  • Printing/cutting patterns
  • Choosing felt colors and thread
  • Setting up scissors, needles, and stuffing
• Crafting Time (per ornament): 20–45 minutes
  • Cutting felt pieces
  • Embroidering faces and details
  • Sewing and stuffing
• Total Time for a Set of 10+ Ornaments: 4–6 hours
  • You can spread this over several evenings or a weekend crafting session.

Time will vary depending on how detailed you like your embroidery and how comfortable you are with hand-sewing.

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Ingredients (Materials & Tools)

For a variety of felt ornaments, gather:

Basic Materials

• Wool or wool-blend felt sheets in assorted colors
  • Whites and creams for faces
  • Purples, reds, greens, blues, and pinks for bodies
  • Brown for gingerbread or cookie-style ornaments
• Embroidery floss in coordinating colors (black for eyes, pink for cheeks, bright shades for details)
• Polyester fiberfill or felt scraps (for stuffing)
• Ribbon, baker’s twine, or thin cord for hanging loops
• Small buttons, beads, or sequins (optional, for extra sparkle)

Tools

• Sharp fabric scissors or small embroidery scissors
• Hand-sewing needles (embroidery needles with a larger eye are easiest)
• Pins or clips to hold layers together
• Water-erasable or disappearing fabric marker (optional, for marking faces and designs)
• Printed paper patterns for your shapes (stars, gingerbread people, trees, hearts, mittens, etc.)
• Hole punch (optional, if you want to punch holes in felt for lacing details)

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Step-by-Step Instructions

These steps work as a basic method for most simple felt ornaments. After that, you’ll find ideas for different shapes and characters.

1. Choose and Print Your Patterns

1. Pick the designs you want to make:
   • Smiling star character (like the purple one in the image)
   • Gingerbread people
   • Christmas trees
   • Hearts or stars
   • Mittens or stockings
   • Snowmen or reindeer
2. Print the patterns at the desired size.
3. Cut out the paper pattern pieces with regular scissors.

2. Cut Out Felt Pieces

1. Place your paper pattern on top of the felt.
2. Either pin the paper in place or trace around it with a fabric marker.
3. Carefully cut out two identical pieces for each ornament (front and back).
4. Cut any additional small shapes: cheeks, stars, scarves, tiny decorations, etc.

3. Add the Face and Details to the Front Piece

It’s much easier to decorate the front before sewing the ornament shut.

1. Position the face area:
   • For star characters, place a lighter felt piece across the middle of the star for the “face band.”
   • For gingerbread people, keep the face on the head area.
2. Stitch the face:
   • Use black floss to add tiny French knots or small straight stitches for eyes.
   • Embroider a simple smile with a curved backstitch.
   • Add pink cheeks with tiny circles of pink felt or small blush dots made with fabric paint.
3. Add decorative embroidery:
   • Simple starbursts, snowflakes, or “sprinkles” in contrasting floss.
   • Buttons or beads for ornaments on trees or “buttons” on gingerbread bodies.
4. Secure all small pieces with small neat stitches (whipstitch or running stitch).

4. Prepare the Hanging Loop

1. Cut a 10–15 cm (4–6 inch) length of ribbon or baker’s twine.
2. Fold it into a loop.
3. Place the cut ends at the top of the back felt piece—between the layers once you sew.
4. Secure with a few stitches or a dab of glue so it doesn’t slip when you’re sewing around the edges.

5. Sew the Front and Back Together

1. Place the front and back pieces together with the decorated side facing out.
2. Thread your needle with matching or contrasting embroidery floss (3–6 strands, depending on the look you want).
3. Sew around the edge using a blanket stitch or small whipstitch.
4. Leave a small gap for stuffing (about 2–3 cm).

6. Stuff the Ornament

1. Gently push small pinches of fiberfill into the ornament through the opening.
2. Use the blunt end of a pencil or a chopstick to push stuffing into the tips of points (like star arms).
3. Stuff lightly for a soft, flat ornament or more firmly for a puffier, plush look.

7. Close the Opening

1. Once you’re happy with the shape, continue your blanket stitch or whipstitch along the gap.
2. Knot the thread securely on the back side.
3. Hide the knot by slipping the needle between the felt layers and bringing it out a short distance away before cutting the thread.

8. Repeat With Different Patterns

Make the process again with different shapes and color combinations until you have a whole set of 10 or more felt ornaments ready for the tree.

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How to Serve (Display & Use)

• On the Christmas tree: Hang them as soft, kid- and pet-friendly decorations that won’t shatter if they fall.
• As gift toppers: Tie a felt ornament onto wrapped gifts instead of a traditional bow. The ornament becomes part of the present.
• Garlands: String several ornaments along a length of ribbon or twine and hang across a mantel, window, or headboard.
• Table décor: Scatter them along the holiday table or tuck them into napkin rings for a whimsical touch.
• Kid room decorations: Hang them on bedroom doorknobs, bulletin boards, or curtain rods for cozy winter cheer.

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